Glassdoor.com is a site that lets employees (past and present) of companies post reviews about their experiences. After finding atrocious reviews about Tate Publishing on that site, which gave clear indications from even over a year ago that the company was in trouble, we decided to check out some other publishing service companies, like Author Solutions, which owns AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse, Trafford, WordClay, Balboa Press, and Palibrio. Their imprints also include Archway Publishing, LifeRich Publishing, WestBow Press, Patridge, Booktango. Turns out authors aren’t the only ones complaining about Author Solutions.
Here’s what we found:
4/6/16: “Publishing Consultant Partnerships“
“They actively recruit people to post on glass door in an attempt to hedge their horrendous ratings.”
IMPORTANT NOTE FROM WRITERSWEEKLY: The comment above may explain some pretty (in our opinion) over-the-top positive reviews about the firm posted to glassdoor.com, which appear to contradict the complaints posted about them there. So, it wouldn’t surprise us at all if the employee’s comment above is true. One positive comment alone appears it may have written by either management or even perhaps the owner of the firm because it waxes poetic about Author Solutions (it even appears to be an advertisement), frequently using the word “we.”
3/30/16: “Since sale the company has gone downhill“
“The Company has been sold multiple times now which leads to a very unstable environment and decrease in employee morale.”
and
“The company that purchased ASI has let many companies fail which is a huge concern.”
5/15/16: “Author Assistant”
“The company continues on a downward spiral. It’s like a morgue.”
7/29/16: “Still a Zero“
“Being away from the company now for an entire year has really made me feel exceptionally grateful I do not work at ASI anymore. I now work in an office that prides itself in its work, doesn’t rip off anyone for profit or other gains, and truly appreciates and fosters the growth of its staff.”
7/18/16: “Would have recommended 1+ years ago, not now”
“All of the best people in the company are leaving.”
8/4/16: “So very sad, this company is being run into the ground!”
“…they are moving production jobs to the Philippines to boost their profits even though the authors hate it! They have fired our co-workers, stripped nearly all of our benefits, do no communicate with at at all regarding the future of the company, and are letting the company go down the drain. They even quit taking care of the building or parking lot, the entrance way is embarrassing, the weeds are taller than me…”
and
“People are leaving daily. The atmosphere is toxic.”
9/15/16: “Run like hell! Glad I did!“
“Have you seen the place lately? Just drive by. You’ll find out everything you need to know just by the condition of the property.”
10/10/16: “Not for long term“
“Repeatedly ‘cleans house’ and moves large numbers of positions to the Philippines causing many good workers to lose jobs.”
10/30/16: “Don’t work here or do business with us.”
“It’s a disaster. Complete disaster. The new owner is stripping it down, shipping the work overseas.”
3/17/17: “A job where you leave phone messages all day long. They track every SINGLE thing in Sales Force.”
“You’ll generally earn less than a full-time employee of Wal-Mart, which averages $12.86. This pays less.”
In addition to these complaints, and many others appearing online, it also seems that firms owned by Author Solutions tend to charge WAY too much. You can see the POD Price Comparison HERE. In addition, some terms of their contract aren’t exactly author friendly.
RELATED:
SELF-PUBLISHING? – How Many Book Sales Needed to Recoup Your Investment?
Was Author Solutions Sold at a Loss? We Think So!
Lots of Imprints and Lots of Complaints! Could You Unwittingly Crawl into Bed with Author Solutions?
Disturbing Allegations In The New Author Solutions Lawsuit!
BookLocker is “much easier than AuthorHouse.”
Got questions about Print On Demand and Self-publishing? Ask Angela Hoy.
About The Author
Angela Hoy is the publisher of WritersWeekly.com, the author of 19 books, and the co-owner of BookLocker.com (one of the original POD publishers that still gets books to market in less than a month), PubPreppers.com (print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish), and Abuzz Press (the publishing co-op that charges no setup fees).
Angela has lived and traveled across the U.S. with her kids in an RV, settled in a river-side home in Bradenton, FL, and lived on a 52 ft Irwin sailboat. Angela now resides on a mountaintop in Northwest Georgia, where she plans to spend the rest of her days bird watching, gardening, hiking, and taking in all of the amazing sunrises.
WritersWeekly.com - the free marketing ezine for writers, which features new paying markets and freelance job listings every Wednesday.
BookLocker.com - According to attorney Mark Levine, author of The Fine Print, BookLocker is: "As close to perfection as you're going to find in the world of ebook and POD publishing. The ebook royalties are the highest I've ever seen, and the print royalties are better than average. BookLocker understands what new authors experience, and have put together a package that is the best in the business. You can't go wrong here. Plus, they're selective and won't publish any manuscript just because it's accompanied by a check. Also, the web site is well trafficked. If you can find a POD or epublisher with as much integrity and dedication to selling authors' books, but with lower POD publishing fees, please let me know."
Abuzz Press offers FAST and FREE book publication, but only accepts a small percentage of submissions, and only works with U.S. authors.
PubPreppers.com - "We Prep, You Publish!" Print and ebook design for authors who truly want to self-publish. Offers formatting and design services only, and then provides simple instructions for authors on where to sign up to have the print and ebook editions printed/listed/sold. Cut out the middle man. Keep 100% of what bookstores pay for your book!
Angela's POD Secrets Revealed Series can be found HERE.
Have a POD Book with another publisher? See if BookLocker can give you a better deal. (BookLocker offers "disgruntled author discounts" to those who want to move from other POD services.)
See BookLocker's publishing packages HERE.
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https://www.facebook.com/angela.hoy.750
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https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelahoy/
Angela is the creator of the Original 24-Hour Short Story Contest!
https://24hourshortstorycontest.com/
Read More Of Angela's Articles HERE
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Wow! Getting the low-down from the employees is telling. I’m glad to be here at Booklocker.